“Padres Baseball–Crap Day”———————-

Monday was ‘Crap Day’ in lots of different ways.

Padres expectations…always so high and then always so disappointing.

Fernando Tatis, El Nino, the straw that stirs the drink in San Diego, reported to camp with a fractured left wrist, the end result of a motorcycle accident back in December.

No one knew in San Diego.  All they knew was he had scrapes and bruises.  Now we find out that there were multiple incidents on the motorcycle involving Tatis.

He didn’t want to talk much about the ‘incidents’ when he met with the press on the first day of Cactus League workouts.  This is a mess, and you can critique not just Tatis on a cyle, but other people too.

You can send a thank you note to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred.  As part of his lockout that led to the 99-day shutdown of the game, no communications were allowed between players and their teams, between players and the team trainers, and even with team doctors.  Had the Padres known back then, 3-months ago, they might have found the fractures, might have prescribed immediate surgery.

The color turned ashen in the face of GM-AJ Prellar, detailing the fact Tatis could be out till August.  Sports medicine officials say the fracture to the scaphoid bone atop the wrist is a slow healing procedure.  Tatis said 3-months, but doctors say 3-to-6 months.

Tatis injured his left shoulder five different times  last year, was on the injured list twice and then rejected overtures to have off season surgery.

He has this 340M-contract kicking in.  At age 23, his successes on the field are offset by a track record of injuries dating back to his rookie minor league years with wrist problems there too.

The Padres have enough uncertainty considering  the health issues of virtually the entire starting rotation last year.  And somebody in that front office should be concerned about a 162-game about to begin with less than 4-weeks of spring training and the risk to arms in the rotation..

So the Friars won’t have their superstar shortstop.  Do they have bodies to replace them?  Sure.  But Ha-Syeong Kim hit just (.207).  Who knows what you get from Jurickson Profar, who has had hot and cold seasons.  The hotshot minor league shortstop CJ Abrams is coming off injuries, and is not ready for the the National League yet.

And there is a huge hole in leftfield, yet to be filled.

The Padres have the ability to bring in 1-free agent to play in left before they would bump up against the 230M-Luxury tax threshold.

They are in the mix for Japanese slugger Seiyo Suzuki, but so are the Mariners, Dodgers, Red Sox, Giants.

No one wants Eric Hosmer’s contract which has 59M left on it.  And if you trade Wil Myers to clear budget space, then you have a hole in right field to go with the other corner spot.

The DH is coming, but now the Padres have limitations too.  Plugging the spot in the batting order by using one of your utilitymen isn’t a  solution.  They tried to lure 42-year old Nelson Cruz from Minnesota, but he went elsewhere.

Kyle Schwarber, with power hitting capabilities, is out there but likely at an inflated price.

All of a sudden the Padres look like an incomplete team, with a hole at short, one in lfeft, and unanswered questions  about the overall health of their starters.

Preller imported two pitchers from Japan  but who knows if Nick Martinez and Robert Suarez can pitch at this level.  We’re not talking about Yu Darvish quality here.

A large chunk of the farm system has been traded away by Preller, so there is not much to look at from El Paso.

The rumors they might be willing to pay a big price to get the Pirates Brian Reynolds  are still out there, but that price tag will be steep, and this from a team that overpaid then gave up on last summer’s acquisition of Adam Frazier, now in Seattle.

Oh by the way, we seem to be waiting on the next big decision, World Series MVP Freddie Freeman, , possibly going to the filthy rich Dodgers.

Last Friday, I was ready to write about the Padres being ready to win the National League West. Then we got the Dodgers-Clayton Kershaw deal, and the Freeman negotiations.  And then the Tatis injury, the Luxury Tax rules, the Cruz decision, and the price you’d pay in a Pittsburgh trade.  Now I can’t write that headline yet, if ever..

Someone needs to explain to Tatis his responsibility as a Padres star.  Someone should also question his maturity as a person.

Yeah, ‘Crap Day’ in Padresville, and we haven’t even played a game.

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